


Long Story Short (they were dating)

by Havanar



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 5+1 Things, BFFS Shiro and Keith, Canon Compliant, Everyone thinks Shiro and Keith are like married, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Half-Galra Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, POV Outsider, Purring Keith (Voltron), Secret Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Shiro and Keith trust each other implicitly, Soft Keith/Shiro (Voltron), slight angst, swearing shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:42:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28315470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Havanar/pseuds/Havanar
Summary: Shiro and Keith spend the first two years of their time on the Castleship getting together.The rest of the Paladins think they're already dating.Or, five times the Paladins thought Shiro and Keith were dating + the one time they found out they were right.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 160
Collections: Merry Sheithmas 2020





	Long Story Short (they were dating)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kaczsia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaczsia/gifts).



> A Sheith secret santa gift for @KaczsiaArt on Twitter!
> 
> I hope you like it, I tried to hit as much of your wish list as I could (sorry I couldn't get everything!) There is a hint of angst (Sorry!!) but I couldn't think how else to slip in Galra / purring Keith.
> 
> Merry Christmas!

**Five hours after Shiro and Keith reunite**

**Lance**

Lance doesn’t mean to spy. But something about the adrenaline of the night, finding Shiro, fleeing with Keith, Hunk and Pidge, the five of them bundled under one roof like a poorly planned sleepover, makes him feel like a kid again. It was a habit in the McClain house, to peek into his parents room the night before Christmas to survey the presents, to eavesdrop on his sister. Spy on his little brothers. 

It doesn’t help that Keith leaves the door half open either. Lance will blame it on that later, when Keith asks him how he found out about his relationship with Shiro.

Lance hadn’t meant to spy, he was on his way to the bathroom, tiptoeing past Hunk and Pidge, passed out on the floor and sofa respectively. Their gentle snoring continues in the distance when the door catches Lance’s eye. He doesn’t dare touch it, just shifts a little, so that he can see.

Inside there’s a double bed. A half open closet, clothes hanging neatly inside. A desk, empty. Lance has a feeling Keith hasn’t slept in this room, ever.

He can hear too sets of breathing from the bed, presses himself just a little closer to the wall to get a better look. There are two bodies on the bed. Shiro takes up most of the space, turned on his side, away from Lance, and the door. His chest rises and falls softly.

Keith is next to him, slightly obscured by Shiro’s bulk. Lance stands on his toes, just to confirm. Their bodies aren’t touching, _leaving room for Jesus,_ his Abuela would have said. But their hands are loosely entwined. Keith’s face is tilted towards Shiro’s, just slightly.

 _I didn’t know Keith Kogane was gay._ Flashes through his head.

 _I didn’t know he was dating Shiro._ Appears next.

Then, _wait till I tell the rest of the Garrison._

Except he can’t do that. They fled the Garrison.

So he tells PIdge and Hunk instead.

* * *

‘I think someone was watching us.’ Shiro mumbles into his pillow, eyes opening to find Keith’s squinting back at him.

‘Nah.’ Keith replies softly. 

Shiro groans. Shifting slightly to give Keith more room. Maybe one day he’ll shake the feeling of being watched 24/7.

‘I love you, you know.’ Keith murmurs into the darkness.

‘Shiro isn’t surprised. It’s the first time he’s heard the words tumble from Keith’s lips. But he isn’t surprised.

‘I know.’ he says.

He isn’t ready to answer that one yet.

* * *

**Two days after Shiro and Keith** **reunite**

**Pidge**

Pidge hadn’t believed Lance at first. _Shiro? The Garrison Golden Boy? In a relationship with Keith Kogane? No way. Shiro, Mr-I-Can’t-Break-a-rule? He’s too uptight. And no way would the Garrison have allowed it._ Runs through her head when Lance tells her and Hunk his theory. Pidge knows Shiro. And she can think of at least three reasons why Lance is full of bull.

  1. Keith had been a minor for most of his friendship with Shiro. Turning 18 to Shiro’s 21 a few months before the launch. Shiro would never date someone underage.
  2. Shiro was in a relationship with Adam for most of his friendship with Keith. He’d cried into Matt’s shoulder at their house the night they broke up!
  3. Shiro is too smart to get on the Garrison’s bad side.



* * *

Pidge doesn’t believe Lance until they try to recapture the Red Lion, Keith’s lion, from the Galra. She’s being held on a Galra battleship, it’s a sea of purple inside, but all Pidge can think about are her father and her brother. It isn’t until she threatens to leave that it shows itself, whatever is hidden between Shiro and Keith.

‘I’m coming with you.’ Shiro says, voice determined.

‘What?’ Keith exclaims, his shoulders sagging slightly in confusion, his bayard angling towards the ground.

‘I remember where the prisoners are held.’ Shiro says, he can’t quite look Keith in the eye.

 _Keith looks like a puppy being told it has to stay home while it’s owner goes to work._ Pidge thinks. She knew Keith before Kerberos, she’d never really liked his dependence on Shiro.

‘Keith, you go find the Red Lion.’ Shiro directs.

‘By myself?’ Keith asks, his eyebrows pulling up, eyes finding Shiro’s as Shrio turns to him.

Suddenly Pidge feels like she’s watching something very private, something she should avert her eyes from. But she can’t, it’s like looking into the sun when she was a kid, it’ll burn later.

‘Minor change of plans. You’ll be fine.’ Shiro says, hands grasping Keith’s shoulders as Keith looks up at him through his bangs. 

‘Just remember,’ Shiro adds. ‘Patience yields focus.’ his hand trails down to Keith’s, grasping lightly.

‘So-’ A door opens in front of them, bright light illuminating the hallway. ‘Run!’ Shiro yells, his fingers are the last thing to leave Keith’s as they split ways.

Pidge should be worrying about dying as she runs. Instead all she can think is an incredulous _Lance McClain was right?_

* * *

‘I know I said I’d give you an answer.’ Shiro says as Keith removes his helmet.

They’d found the Red Lion- Keith had found the Red Lion. He’d piloted her beautifully, they’d formed Voltron. The past couple of days feel like a whirlwind, Shiro’s body feels about ready to give out. But not before he sorts this.

It’s just them now, the others are busy celebrating in the control room.

‘You don’t have to so soon, Shiro.’ Keith says, now working on his wrist plates. 

‘I didn’t want to leave you for Kerberos.’ Shiro continues, moving closer, hands finding their way to Keith’s wrists and removing the next wrist plate for him. He ignores Keith’s words, he knows now that the abrasiveness is just Keith’s way of coping. 

Shiro pulls the wrist plate free, it clatters to the floor. 

‘And I didn’t want to leave you in that corridor.’ Shiro finishes. Looking at Keith.

He isn’t sure if Keith jumps into his arms or if he lifts Keith from the ground. 

He doesn’t care.

* * *

**One month after Keith & Shiro reunite**

**Hunk**

Lance and Pidge spent their first month on the Castleship comparing notes about Shiro and Keith’s relationship. They argue about the timeline, Pidge is insistent things must have started after Shiro returned from Kerberos, when he’d practically crash landed into Keith’s arms. Lance stays resolutely in _Keith and Shiro were secretly hooking up at the Garrison_ camp. 

Hunk isn’t sure who he believes, but he definitely thinks something is going on. Especially when he catches Keith and Shiro in his-the Castle’s kitchen. Keith is sitting on a counter, mouth around a bar of green goo Hunk had managed to make taste like chocolate. In front of Keith Shiro is shoveling things into a blender, the lid laying next to his elbow. 

Around them is devastation. Bits of appliances, lots of chopping boards. The blender is a bizarre mix of food goo, alien meat and vegetables that Hunk is only just learning to cook. Keith’s leg is nudging Shiro gently on the shoulder, making its way to his neck. Hunk is temporarily distracted by Keith’s flexibility as his toes climb higher, finding Shiro’s neck.

What happens next is a chain reaction, like the ones Hunk imagines happening in his engineering work, in his cooking, in his brain.

Shiro’s shoulders rise towards his ears, trapping Keith’s foot.

Shiro leans forward, accidentally activating the blender.

The blender comes to life with a racket. Food flies everywhere. 

‘Fuck!’ Shiro shouts, trying to cover the top before the blender slows to a stop. Keith bursts into laughter, hunching over his stomach on the counter.

‘Shiro! Keith!’ Hunk can’t help himself, this is why he set rules on who was allowed to use the kitchen. Shiro had been on the list of people allowed. He’ll have to change that now.

They both look up, Hunk recognizes the look, it’s the same one his little cousins give him when he catches them going through his stuff.

‘Shit, fuck.’ Shiro mumbles as Keith pushes himself off the counter, looking sheepish. ‘Sorry Hunk.’ He says, looking at Hunk, eyes sincere, despite the remainder of a grin on Keith’s face behind him.

‘Shiro wanted a protein shake.’ Keith says.

Hunk forces himself to relax. _It’s just a kitchen._ He reminds himself. _It can be cleaned._ He thinks. 

‘Right.’ Hunk replies, taking in the damage. There’s even food goo on the ceiling. 

‘We’ll clean it.’ Shiro says, blocking Hunk from going any further inside. 

‘Please.’ Hunk replies, he can’t bring himself to get mad at them. Not when this is the most relaxed he’s ever seen Shiro. Shiro gives him a grin at his words, _he looks like a kid,_ Hunk thinks. Shiro turns towards the sink, the water coming out hard and fast.

Keith moves towards Hunk then. ‘Sorry Hunk.’ He says. He’s got a salad leaf in his hair. Hunk figures Shiro will tell him. Instead he tries to prove his theory.

‘You two looked pretty close.’ He says in a hushed tone, just loud enough for Keith to hear over the water. 

Keith’s face reddens.

‘We’re just good friends.’ He whispers back, before pushing Hunk out of the kitchen. 

* * *

Keith’s shoulders sag as the door closes behind Hunk.

‘That was close.’ He says, Shiro looks at him over the shoulder, he’s elbow deep in hot water, eyebrows raised, waiting. 

‘I was about to pull you in for a kiss.’ Keith mumbles.

‘With your feet?’ Shiro asks. Keith feels his cheeks go redder. Shiro bursts into laughter, hands grasping the side of the sink to keep himself standing.

‘Shut up.’ Keith mumbles, grabbing Shiro from behind, standing on his toes until he can reach Shiro’s neck. 

* * *

**One year after Keith and Shiro reunite**

**Allura**

Allura has heard the rumours, if you can call three people having a discussion about two people on a ship only inhabited by seven a rumour. She isn’t sure where she stands, Shiro is ever professional in front of her. She has no reason to believe what the Blue, Yellow and Green Paladins are saying, that Keith and Shiro have a special relationship.

Not until Shiro and Keith return from the Blade of Marmora’s base.

Keith looks worse for wear. He doesn’t stand as tall as he did when he left, his gait is uneven, telling of an injury to his left. His right arm holds his left, as if it’ll fall off without the support. It sets off alarms in Allura’s heart. Someone hurt her Paladin.

Shiro stands tall, slightly in front of him. Protective. 

‘Guys.’ Keith starts, his voice sounds hoarse. ‘I have to tell you… I’m Galra.’ He spits the words out, like they’re undercooked food goo.

Allura feels something stiffen around her heart as the other paladins gasp. 

_Galra? Keith-The Red Paladin is one of them?_ She can’t comprehend it.

‘My mom,’ Keith continues. ‘She was Galra, a member of the Blade, apparently.’ He finishes barely a whisper.

Allura turns. She doesn’t know how to take this. And she doesn’t want to do something she regrets.

‘Allura!’ She hears Shiro shout, his tone commanding behind her. He follows her into her own quarters, leaving Keith behind.

‘Leave me alone, Shiro.’ She says curtly, but he catches up with her, until she has to turn to look at him.

‘I know.’ Shiro says, his tone steady. ‘It’s a lot. Keith is part Galra. But he’s still Keith.’ his gaze evens with her own. His eyes are steel, fists clenched. Like an Altean warrior ready for battle. 

His words feel like a foreign language, her head feels too full to comprehend it. She takes in his scar, splitting his face in two across his nose. Given to him in the gladiator ring, at the hands of the Galra. His right hand, taken by the Galra and replaced with who knows what. Allura knows there are more scars, she’s caught glimpses of them, peeking out from below his undersuit. 

‘They hurt me too.’ Shiro says, tone even. ‘But Keith is the most honorable man I’ve ever known.’ He adds, standing tall in his Black Paladin uniform.

Allura nods.

She knows he’s right. That she’s being unfair.

‘I just need a minute.’ She replies. Shiro nods before turning, making his way back to Keith.

* * *

The hushed tones from the landing bay cease when Shiro returns. The Paladins watch him, Keith watches him with tired eyes. Something drags him back to Keith, like he’s Shiro’s anchor. When he reaches him Shiro puts a hand around Keith’s shoulder gently. He longs to support him from his waist, but that seems too private in front of the others.

‘Keith is injured.’ He tells them. ‘We’ll finish discussing this later.’ He adds, before guiding Keith away quietly.

He pulls Keith into the black paladin’s quarters. They’re bigger than the standard issue paladin ones, he and Keith can fit comfortably on his bed here. But now isn’t the time for that. He guides Keith down gently into a sitting position, pulling his armour off gently.

‘They’ll come around.’ He whispers into Keith’s hair.

‘I love you.’ He says to Keith’s neck, planting kisses over the scars, the Blade had done a good job at healing them.

‘I don’t care if you’re half Galra.’ He adds, making his way down Keith’s torso. The rumbling from Keith’s chest doesn’t stop Shiro, he recognizes it from their Garrison days. From that night in Keith’s father’s shack, from beds shared on the Castleship.

‘Guess we know why you purr now.’ He says, catching the hint of a soft smile on Keith’s face.

* * *

**One year and two months after Keith and Shiro re** **unite**

**Coran**

Coran knows a mated pair when he sees one. Knows the way their eyes drift towards one another like magnets. The way they’ll look for the other first in a break in battle. So, when the Castleship lands on Balmera, out of power, he assigns one of the rooms allocated to him by the Balmereans to Keith and Shiro.

The paladins in front of him look shocked, all five of them. _That can’t be right._ He’s heard them discuss the relationship between Numbers One and Four.

‘Uh, Coran.’ Shiro begins. But Coran cuts him off.

‘You and Number Four are a mated pair, are you not?’ He asks.

He watches Number Two, Three and Five’s months fall open, even wider than usual. Catches the look between Keith and Shiro, the tilt of Shiro’s head. The sagging of Keith’s shoulders.

Allura has her head in her hands in embarrassment.

It’s Shiro who breaks the silence.

‘Uh, yeah. I guess.’ He says sheepishly. A blush creeping its way up his cheeks to his ears. Keith is staring resolutely at the ground.

‘I told you!’ Lance exclaims, practically jumping up and down.

‘Dude, we agreed with you.’ Pidge hisses.

Lance ignores her. ‘Pay up morons!’ He shouts, ‘I knew it first!’

‘Lance, we didn’t bet.’ Hunk hisses. ‘Shut up.’ He adds, catching Keith’s glare.

‘We were trying to keep it quiet.’ Shiro says. Ears beetroot red now. 

‘You all knew?’ Keith adds, looking from Lance, to Hunk, to Pidge, to Allura.

‘Duuh.’ Lance says, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Since the first night we met.’ 

This time Keith turns to Shiro, gaze narrowing. Shiro looks just as confused, he grabs the back of his hair and tugs, something Coran has noticed him doing in difficult situations. 

‘Sorry to disappoint Lance but this,’ He gestures between himself and Keith. ‘Started a little after that.’

The paladins burst into a flurry of questions.

‘So, when did it start?’

‘You mean you weren’t a thing before Kerberos?’

‘I told you, Shiro was engaged!’

‘Who confessed first?’

Shiro backs away from them, towards Keith. ‘I think we will take that room assignment, afterall.’ He says, grabbing Keith by the waist and turning him around.

‘Thanks Coran!’ He calls over his shoulder as he pulls Keith inside.

* * *

Keith breathes a sigh of relief the minute the door closes behind them.

‘We’ve got some explaining to do.’ Shiro mutters and Keith bursts into laughter. Shiro can’t help but join him, something about Keith’s laugh has always been infectious to him. He pulls Keith away from the door and towards the bed, much bigger than the one in the Black Paladin’s quarters.

‘I can’t believe…’ Keith starts between hiccups. ‘That Lance knew before we did.’

Shiro groans. ‘I knew someone was watching us that night in the shack.’

Keith only laughs harder.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Havanarr) for one tweet like, every 6 months!


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